Elax

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The Elax is a folding 3×4cm camera, using 127 film, made by the French maker Lumière from 1931 or 1933 (depending on the source). It has an unusual focal plane shutter with rigid metal curtains, from 4s to 1/1000 with self-timer. At the time, the Foth Derby was another example of a folding 3×4 focal plane shutter camera. The Elax has a Berthiot Flor 50/3.5 four element lens with helical focusing. Its viewfinder is said to be bought from Leitz, and was apparently the same as the Leica I but vertically oriented. The Elax has a knob advance and later a lever advance. The first part of the course winds the shutter, then it advances the film and you have to stop when the correct number appears in the red windows. The Elax has a black finish, and is a very rare camera.

The Elax II is the postwar version of the Elax, in chrome finish with the lever advance. It is yet rarer; it is said that only fifteen were produced, maybe in 1946 (but McKeown says 1949–51).

Other 3×4cm French cameras are the Pontiac Lynx and the Gallus Derlux (based on the Foth Derby).


German, French & Italian Cameras using 127 film
G
e
r
m
a
n
y
3×4 rigid Dreivier | Futuro | Gewirette | Kolibri
Parvola | Pupille | Ranca | Reporter | Puck
folding Baby Ikonta | Baldi | Dolly | Goldi
Gucki | Ingo | Korelle | Makinette
Metharette | Perkeo | Vollenda
4x4 Navax | Paxina Electromatic | Rothlar
4x6.5 Bella | Billy | Bob | Dolly | Goldi
Gucki | Korelle | Panta | Parvola
Piccolette | Rio | Ultrix
TLR see German TLRs
F
r
a
n
c
e
3×4 rigid Fotobaby | Lynx | Super-Boy
folding Derby-Lux | Elax
pseudo TLR Auteuil | Longchamp
4×4 rigid Impera | Marly | Pari-Fex | Rubi-Fex | Top
4×6.5 rigid Photo-Magic
I
t
a
l
y
3x4 Comet | Comet III | Cometa | Euralux
Ibis | Maxima | Piccolo | Tanit
4x4 Comet | Euralux | Ibis
4x6.5 & other Alfa | Delta | Relex | Rolet | Rondine

Bibliography

  • Vial, Bernard. Histoire des appareils français. Période 1940–1960. Paris: Maeght Éditeur, 1980, re-impressed in 1991. ISBN 2-86941-156-1.
  • Pont, Patrice-Hervé. Pontiac Lynx, Super Lynx, Baby Lynx. Fotofiche 15. Fotosaga.

Links

In French: